The Doctor Sleepcastis led by prominent actorsEwan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson, but they aren't the only people in the film. Arriving on November 8, 2019,Doctor Sleepis an adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name. Director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) confirmedDoctor Sleepis a sequel toThe Shining novelas well as the 1980 movie adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson.
Last Updated: November 12, 2019
Doctor Sleepmovie picks up decades afterThe Shining. Danny Torrance, who was just a little boy during the events ofThe Shining,is now an adult who's haunted by his supernatural ability. He works at a nursing home and drinks heavily in an attempt to suppress the gift he has come to call "the shining". One day, Danny meets with a teenage girl, Abra Stone, who possesses the same ability he does. He believes Abra is being hunted by a cult known as The True Knot and wants to protect her. This group of seemingly immortal beingssearches for giftedchildren like Danny and Abra, feeding offof them in order to maintain their long life. Danny and Abra soon find themselves fighting The True Knot in order to put an end to their destructive ways.
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The Doctor Sleep cast hasa diverse group of both seasoned actors and relative newcomers. UnlikeJacob Tremblay (Room,Good Boys), who was cast in a still-unknown role, we know which actors are playing the intriguing array ofDoctor Sleepcharacters. Here's a complete breakdown of the main Doctor Sleepcast.
Ewan McGregor As Danny Torrance
Ewan McGregor plays Dan Torrance inDoctor Sleep. Dan is one of three major Shiningcharacters to be featured in the sequel. He's a heavy drinker in his early adult years, using alcohol to suppress the psychic ability he calls "the shining". Dan is plagued by memories of the Overlook Hotel and is still haunted byits ghosts.He eventually settles in New Hampshire and gets a job at a hospice facility, where he uses "the shining" to soothe the residents and provide comfort to dying patients.Doctor Sleep includes flashbacks to young Danny's (played by Roger Dale Floyd) timeat the Overlook.
McGregor has been acting since the early 1990s, coming into his own with roles in hit films likeTrainspotting, Moulin Rouge!, and theStar Warsprequel trilogy. More recently, McGregor has popped up on FX'sFargo and in two Disneylive-action remakes:Beauty and the BeastandChristopher Robin. AfterDoctor Sleep, he'll be seen next inBirds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
Rebecca Ferguson As Rose The Hat
Rebecca Ferguson plays Rose the Hat inDoctor Sleep.Rose is the leader of a cult known as The True Knot. The True Knot members feed off the "steam" of children who have "the shining", allowing them to live longer than is naturally possible. Rose becomes aware of Abra's existence and realizes she has an incredible amount of power. This drives Rose to focus all of her time and energy on locating Abra so she can be used as a limitless source of "steam" for The True Knot.
Ferguson's star has been on the rise since 2013's limited TV seriesThe White Queen.Following that breakout performance, she has secured roles in tons of big studio films, including two Mission Impossible films,The Girl on the Train, andThe Greatest Showman.Ferguson was most recently seen inMen in Black: International,opposite Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.
Kyliegh Curran As Abra Stone
Kyliegh Curran plays Abra Stone inDoctor Sleep. Abra has "the shining", just like Dan. She is more powerful than Dan ever was, though, which makes her an especially attractive target to Rose and The True Knot. Abra begins psychically communicating with Dan from the moment she is born, but the two don't physically meet until she's a teenager. In the book, Abra is revealed to be Danny's long-lost niece, but this blood tie isn't part of the film.
Curran has been acting since she was 7 years old but has only recently begun appearing onscreen.Doctor Sleepis her second onscreen credit in that regard. She first starred in the indie filmI Can I Will I Did.
Carl Lumbly As Dick Hallorann
Carl Lumbly plays Dick Hallorann inDoctor Sleep. Dick is another characteroriginally introduced inThe Shining. He used to work as a cook at the Overlook Hotel. Dick has "the shining", just like his grandmother. In the aftermath of the events ofThe Shining novel, Wendy asks Dick to help Danny process what happened, especially since the young boy still sees spirits attached to the hotel. Dickteaches Danny how to control his ability, giving him the tools necessary to lead a normal life. Since Dick was killed off in The Shining movie, he instead helps Dan in Flanagan's Doctor Sleep by serving as a sort of spirit advisor.
Lumbly is a veteran actor, beginning his robust onscreen career in the late 1970s with a role inEscape From Alcatraz, which starred Clint Eastwood. Among Lumbly's more notable and recent credits include roles in the J.J. Abrams seriesAlias,NCIS: Los Angeles, and the CW hitSupergirl.
Zahn McClarnon As Crow Daddy
Zahn McClarnon plays Crow Daddy inDoctor Sleep.Amember of The True Knot, he is Rose's right-hand man and lover. He is responsible for tracking Abra down andbringing her back tothe True Knot members so they can all consumeher essence.
McClarnon spent the early years of his acting career taking bit parts in popular '90s TV shows, likeBaywatch, before securing a recurring role onDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. McClarnon has nabbed parts on both film and TV over the years, appearing in projects such asRinger,Fargo,Longmire,Westworld, andQueen of the South.
Related:Theory: How Doctor Sleep Has Recast Jack Nicholson In The Shining
Emily Alyn Lind As Snakebite Andi
Emily Alyn Lind plays Snakebite Andi inDoctor Sleep. Andi is a member of The True Knot. She had a traumatic childhood as she was abused by her father. Andi also has the ability to make others fall asleep through the power of suggestion.
Lind began her career in daytime soap operas, including a notable run onAll My Children. In addition to frequent appearances in made-for-TV movies, Lind has popped up on the ABC dramaRevenge, the Netflix original horror movieThe Babysitter, and the Keanu Reeves-led sci-fi thrillerReplicas.
Bruce Greenwood As Dr. John Dalton
Bruce Greenwood plays Dr. John Dalton inDoctor Sleep. In the book, he's the Stone's family doctor and has looked after Abra's health throughout her life. John is also a friend of Dan's.He knows about "the shining" and accepts its existence, ostensibly having seen theability used by Abra while treating her. In the film, however, Dalton instead helps Danny get his job at the hospice facility early on, and believes in Danny's powers because he sees them in action. Dalton has no apparent connection to Abra in the Doctor Sleep movie.
Greenwood has built an impressive acting resume over the years. Recurring on popular TV shows likeSt. ElsewhereandKnots Landinghelped put Greenwood on the map. His career rose even more with roles in popular movies likeDouble Jeopardy, co-starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones,The Rules of Engagement,I, Robot,National Treasure: Book of Secrets, andthe firsttwo installments of the recentStar Trekreboot trilogy.Doctor Sleepmarks the second time Greenwood has worked with Flanagan following their collaboration on the Netflix originalGerald's Game.
Related:Every Upcoming Stephen King Movie In Development
Alex Essoe As Wendy Torrance
Alex Essoe plays Wendy Torrance inDoctor Sleep. Wendy is one of three characters still alive after the events ofThe Shining book. Like Dan, she is still traumatized after what happened at the Overlook. She appears in the opening scenes of the Doctor Sleep movie, alongside young Danny. It's later revealed that Wendy died before the events of the film proper, and Danny's "shine" burdened him with the advance knowledge that her death was imminent, leading him to suppress his abilities.
Essoe has been acting in movies and TV since 2008. She's appeared in a variety of indie movies, including the horror movieStarry Eyes, and the Showtime seriesHouse of Lies, which starred Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell.
Cliff Curtis As Billy Freeman
Cliff Curtis plays Billy Freeman inDoctor Sleep. He is a close friend of Dan's and lives in the same New Hampshire town. Billy becomes a pivotal ally of Dan's asDoctor Sleepprogresses, helping him take on The True Knot in order to save Abra.
Curtis has been acting since the early '90s but really broke out with his performance inThree Kings, starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. Since then, Curtis has appeared in several movies and TV shows, includingTraining Day,Collateral Damage,Live Free or Die Hard, andFear the Walking Dead. His most recentappearances are supportingroles inThe Meg and. AfterDoctor Sleep, Curtis will be seen inAvatar2, 3, 4, and5.
Next:Doctor Sleep: Everything You Need To Know About The Shining Sequel
Key Release Dates
- Doctor SleepRelease Date:2019-11-08
